Published: Thursday, January 30, 2014 at 4:22 p.m.

Last Modified: Thursday, January 30, 2014 at 4:22 p.m.

Amid a crush of screaming fans and media, pop star Justin Bieber turned himself in to Canadian police on assault charges Wednesday — the same day he pleaded not guilty to driving under the influence while allegedly drag racing in Miami Beach. That evening, Neal Shusterman settled into a quieter nook at Ocala’s Barnes & Noble bookstore.

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The author had already spent the afternoon at two Marion County high schools, speaking to and signing books for teen fans. It was a big deal for him to be in Ocala, not just because he is a best-selling author but because he had to rent a car from New Orleans and drive nine hours to Florida after wild winter storms canceled his flight.

Though a newspaper photographer was there, Shusterman’s B&N gig was far from a paparazzi affair. He browsed books and talked to store employees about the freakish weather before his show started.

To be sure, Shusterman is not a pop culture fixture in Bieber’s orbit. But make no mistake, he is a celebrity among legions of fans in the same age group as Bieber’s fans. Some teens showed up more than an hour before Shusterman’s Ocala appearance. They squealed about obtaining front row seats even though they had seen him speak at school hours earlier.

And after Shusterman signed books from his wildly popular “Unwind” series, some teen girls proclaimed Wednesday as the “best day” of their lives. I know this because I drove one home. Our daughter Katie was so wired about the signing that she called her mom on the way home, chattering breathlessly as if she had just downed six shots of espresso with a sugar-cube chaser.

He read from her favorite chapter of her favorite book, she told her mom. Can you believe it?? And then ... then ... then ... he read from his upcoming book in the series, the one due out in October. “I cannot WAIT for October!!!” Katie bellowed multiple times.

She was not expressing elated anticipation, like I would say “I cannot wait for lunch.” No. She was deeply ticked that she did, indeed, have to wait until October for Shusterman’s next “Unwind” installment. He made the wait even more unbearable when he read a chapter from that forthcoming book, a teaser that literally made jaws drop when ... well, I can’t say. Shusterman made us promise not to discuss the monumental surprises to prevent spoilers on the Internet.

Also the author of the “Everlost” series, Shusterman is part of a remarkable literary revolution. He pens beautifully written novels for teens and young adults. Like the “Hunger Games” and “Divergent” books, his work digs into darker corners and weaves current — and powerfully relevant — themes into dystopian settings. Today’s teen lit rings of familiar political struggles and troubling cultural trends. Some are sharp allegories. Metaphors are everywhere but not clearly evident or easy.

I have not read Shusterman’s books yet, but I became a Shusterman fan Wednesday night. He talked to those teens as intelligent adults. It was honestly one of the most interesting discussions on writing I have ever attended, and I have attended many. Questions from young fans were succinct and sincere; his answers were frank and fearless.

One student asked why he liked writing for teens.

“I don’t like writing for adults,” he answered, “because their minds are already set.”

My daughter and her friends devoured every word, thoughtfully processing Shusterman’s stories and his stories behind the stories. Those young girls were literally holding autographed pages to their hearts. They were absolutely giddy, acting as if they had just left a concert by a dreamy teen pop star with mounds of hair gel, fast cars and awful judgement.

But they weren’t leaving an arena. They were leaving a bookstore. And that makes me absolutely giddy, as well.

<p>Amid a crush of screaming fans and media, pop star Justin Bieber turned himself in to Canadian police on assault charges Wednesday — the same day he pleaded not guilty to driving under the influence while allegedly drag racing in Miami Beach. That evening, Neal Shusterman settled into a quieter nook at Ocala's Barnes & Noble bookstore.</p><p>The author had already spent the afternoon at two Marion County high schools, speaking to and signing books for teen fans. It was a big deal for him to be in Ocala, not just because he is a best-selling author but because he had to rent a car from New Orleans and drive nine hours to Florida after wild winter storms canceled his flight.</p><p>Though a newspaper photographer was there, Shusterman's B&N gig was far from a paparazzi affair. He browsed books and talked to store employees about the freakish weather before his show started.</p><p>To be sure, Shusterman is not a pop culture fixture in Bieber's orbit. But make no mistake, he is a celebrity among legions of fans in the same age group as Bieber's fans. Some teens showed up more than an hour before Shusterman's Ocala appearance. They squealed about obtaining front row seats even though they had seen him speak at school hours earlier.</p><p>And after Shusterman signed books from his wildly popular “Unwind” series, some teen girls proclaimed Wednesday as the “best day” of their lives. I know this because I drove one home. Our daughter Katie was so wired about the signing that she called her mom on the way home, chattering breathlessly as if she had just downed six shots of espresso with a sugar-cube chaser.</p><p>He read from her favorite chapter of her favorite book, she told her mom. Can you believe it?? And then ... then ... then ... he read from his upcoming book in the series, the one due out in October. “I cannot WAIT for October!!!” Katie bellowed multiple times.</p><p>She was not expressing elated anticipation, like I would say “I cannot wait for lunch.” No. She was deeply ticked that she did, indeed, have to wait until October for Shusterman's next “Unwind” installment. He made the wait even more unbearable when he read a chapter from that forthcoming book, a teaser that literally made jaws drop when ... well, I can't say. Shusterman made us promise not to discuss the monumental surprises to prevent spoilers on the Internet.</p><p>Also the author of the “Everlost” series, Shusterman is part of a remarkable literary revolution. He pens beautifully written novels for teens and young adults. Like the “Hunger Games” and “Divergent” books, his work digs into darker corners and weaves current — and powerfully relevant — themes into dystopian settings. Today's teen lit rings of familiar political struggles and troubling cultural trends. Some are sharp allegories. Metaphors are everywhere but not clearly evident or easy.</p><p>I have not read Shusterman's books yet, but I became a Shusterman fan Wednesday night. He talked to those teens as intelligent adults. It was honestly one of the most interesting discussions on writing I have ever attended, and I have attended many. Questions from young fans were succinct and sincere; his answers were frank and fearless.</p><p>One student asked why he liked writing for teens.</p><p>“I don't like writing for adults,” he answered, “because their minds are already set.”</p><p>My daughter and her friends devoured every word, thoughtfully processing Shusterman's stories and his stories behind the stories. Those young girls were literally holding autographed pages to their hearts. They were absolutely giddy, acting as if they had just left a concert by a dreamy teen pop star with mounds of hair gel, fast cars and awful judgement.</p><p>But they weren't leaving an arena. They were leaving a bookstore. And that makes me absolutely giddy, as well.</p><p><i>Contact Dave Schlenker at go@starbanner.com or 867-4120.</i></p>